Welch is a town of 2,863 people (as of 2000) in West Virginia, and the county seat of McDowell County. Incorporated in 1894, it was named for Confederate captain Isaiah A. Welch, who founded the city and was a leader in the area's coal development. Historically, Welch was a prosperous coal town, but the community fell on severely hard times when the coal boom of the early 20th century came to an end. The area still suffers from regular flooding, which has kept the economy depressed.

These days, the area has become well-known for its connection to author Homer Hickam Jr, a native of nearby Coalwood, whose 1998 autobiographical book Rocket Boys: A Memoir was adapted as the 1999 film October Sky.

History in Our Mountains Museum and Gift Shop, 8 Wyoming Street, ☎+1 304-436-3209. Features a 25-minute film on the coal industry, coalfield memorabilia, and information on a self-guided tour of the county.

McDowell County Courthouse, 90 Wyoming Street, ☎+1 304-436-8544. An imposing Romanesque Revival style stone building atop a hillside overlooking downtown. The courtyard steps were infamously the site of the murders of Edward Chambers and Sid Hatfield, who was the sheriff of nearby Matewan and an outspoken union organizer, by agents of the coal company.

Many abandoned tipples, which were used to transport coal and slate to dump sites, can be seen throughout the county.

The interestingly-named town of War, a mining community on WV-16. Homer Hickam's 1960 science fair award is on display in Big Creek High School, which will be preserved as a museum when the school is closed in 2008.

October Sky Festival, in Coalwood. Held annually in early October. Book signings by Homer Hickam and the Rocket Boys, representatives from NASA and Space Camp USA, rocket shootings, parade, speeches, live entertainment, food and souvenir booths.